4 Tips to Protect Yourself from Skin Cancer



Summer will be here soon, and to be honest, I can’t wait to go picnic with the family, take a trip to the beach and enjoy the sun. As we enjoy all these great summer time activities, let’s keep in mind the risks of sun overexposure, including skin cancer. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is responsible for 79% of skin cancer-related deaths and is the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 25-30. All skin types and colors, including Latinos, are at risk. But, you don’t have to hide from the sun. Doctors say you can protect from skin cancer by following these simple tips from SkinCancer.org: • Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day • Cover up with clothing, including UV-blocking sunglasses • Apply 1 ounce of sunscreen to your ...

Read More

Latino Health Disparities: Improving, But More Needs to be Done



The latest annual report on the nation’s health by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows Latinos are living longer than whites and blacks and health disparities are narrowing. Despite the latest improvements in health disparities, Latinos still have the highest incidence of high blood pressure and childhood obesity, The American Heart Association News (AHA) reports. “High blood pressure remains much more common among black Americans, and Hispanic children and teens are still more likely to be obese than their black, white and Asian counterparts.,” AHA said in a written statement. The CDC’s annual health report is a “snapshot” of the nation’s health “highlighting recent successes and challenges in fighting critical health problems in the United ...

Read More

Study: Ads May Be Tempting Teens to Vape



Teens who have been exposed to electronic cigarette ads in the last 30 days are more likely to start vaping, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Engadget reports. "The unrestricted marketing of e-cigarettes and dramatic increases in their use by youth could reverse decades of progress in preventing tobacco use among youth," Brian King, deputy director at the CDC's smoking division, said in a statement. The data comes from the CDC's 2014 National Tobacco Survey that looked into the habits of more than 20,000 middle and high school students from across the country and found that the number of E-cigs users is increasing among teenagers. Along with their findings the CDC recommends “limiting e-cig sales to stores that only admit adults, ...

Read More

CDC: 1 in 4 High School Students Use E-Cigarettes



A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that, while the rate of cigarette smoking among U.S. teens did not increase, the use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco vaping products has been on the rise over the last four years, according to Mashable. "E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, and use continues to climb," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said in a release. "No form of youth tobacco use is safe. Nicotine is an addictive drug and use during adolescence may cause lasting harm to brain development." The CDC collected data from 20,000 middle and high school students between 2011-2015. The rate of high school students who reported using an e-cigarette at least once in the last month increased from 1.5% in 2011 to 16% in ...

Read More

Why Oral Cancer Is a Silent Killer



SaludToday Guest Blogger Jefferson Dental Clinics What disease kills as many people a year as handgun violence? Oral cancer. This silent killer is responsible for 10,000 deaths a year, and half of those diagnosed with oral cancer this year will be not alive in five years—and Latino men are among the most at-risk groups. Why the grim prognosis? Oral cancer is often detected late, because many skip routine dental exams. “The unfortunate reality of oral cancer is that the death rate is particularly high, not because it is hard to diagnose, but because often the cancer is discovered late in its development,” said Leslie Renee Townsend, DDS, regional dental director for Jefferson Dental Clinics. “Screenings for early detection are very important,” Townsend said. “Too often ...

Read More

#SaludTues Tweetchat 4/19/16: How to Solve Latino Health Disparities



April is National Minority Health Month and we’re excited to tweet about ways to prevent the greatest health disparities affecting Latinos across the U.S. today! The rising Latino population is creating an urgent need to tackle disparities in obesity, diabetes, and cancer. The estimated cost of health inequities is over $309 billion! Time to take action! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Taking Action to Address Latino Health Disparities TIME/DATE: Noon CST (1 p.m. EST) Tuesday, April 19, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (@NIMHD), Kaiser Permanente (@kpvivabien) & 100 Million Healthier Lives (@100MLives) We’ll open the floor to your comments, stories and ...

Read More

#SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 4/12/16: “How to Alter Health Messaging to Promote Prevention for Latinos”



Health messaging is a critical way to empower health equity. But without relevant, culturally competent health messages, Latinos will continue to face vast health disparities in diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, especially in the face of conflicting unhealthy marketing by the food and beverage industry. Let’s use #SaludTues on April 12, 2016, during National Minority Health Month, to tweet about how healthcare professionals, public health professionals, city leaders, businesses, schools, and you can alter language and images in their health messaging to promote health for Latinos. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How to Alter Health Messaging to Promote Prevention for Latinos” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, April 12, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag ...

Read More

Happy National Public Health Week



Today is the kick-off of National Public Health Week (April 4-10) and this year's theme is “Healthiest Nation 2030,” with the goal of making the U.S. the healthiest nation in one generation! How can you participate? • Organize a health walk around your office with your co-workers and post it on social media using #NPHW #SaludNPHW. • Promote healthy habits by posting recipes and/or workout routines. You can also join any of the events organized by the American Public Health Association, see their full calendar here. Happy NPHW and together let’s make the U.S. the healthiest nation, free of cancer and ...

Read More

#SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 4/5/16: Latina Leaders in Public Health



 It is national public health week!#NPHWchat! #SaludTues! We are excited about Latina Leaders who are driving public health efforts! Latinas are more likely to deal with certain health disparities, and we need your help! Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet about, encourage and say thank you to the #LatinaLeaders in Health & Public Health! We also plan to give tips to anyone interested in being a health leader! Follow #SaludTues to join the conversation. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latina Leaders in Public Health” DATE: Tuesday, April 5th 2016 TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: Hispanic Heritage Foundation( @HHFoundation), National Hispanic Media Association(@NHMAmd), Latina Researchers ...

Read More